


The Devil's Due

by Black_Dwarf



Series: Pact with the Devil-verse [3]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Bobby | Trevor Wilson Redemption, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Multi, Post-Canon, Reggie Peters is a Molina (Julie and The Phantoms)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28360911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Dwarf/pseuds/Black_Dwarf
Summary: The time has come for each of the boys to face their past and find some closure.And then there's still Caleb and his weird obsession. Julie and her phantoms are about to face their biggest challenge yet. Luckily, there may be help coming from a rather unexpected place.
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn/Carrie Wilson, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters, Ray Molina & Reggie Peters
Series: Pact with the Devil-verse [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983400
Comments: 55
Kudos: 49





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Yeoyou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yeoyou/gifts).



> This has been sitting on my laptop for over two months now and I've decided to finally go ahead and post it, even though the story is not completely finished yet.
> 
> Rest assured that I will finish though, as I already know where we are headed. As I'd like to keep certain parts of the plot a secret I've decided to use the CNTW tag. I will however give chapter specific details and warnings at the end notes of each chapter so that everyone who is worried about triggers can check those in advance.
> 
> Additionally you can always reach out to me on tumblr (chanihobbit) and ask me questions about this work. I'm happy to answer all of them and help you decide whether this is suitable.
> 
> One general warning in advance. This work will deal heavily with the themes of grief and mourning as the boys each confront their past and their families. 
> 
> I do hope you'll enjoy this story and if you do, kudos and feedback are always welcome. :)

* * *

When Alex appeared inside the studio he could hear his friend’s raised voices. He sighed inwardly. _Not again_. A second later Reggie rushed past him. He looked upset and more than a little annoyed. Alex’ gaze followed his friend as he vanished out of the door then looked back at Luke, who stood in the corner, arms crossed, with an angry expression on his face.

“Again? Really? I can’t leave you guys alone for one second.” Alex said, shaking his head in exasperation. “So what is it this time?”

* * *

“And then he told me to mind my own business. Can you believe it? The nerve...he drives me insane!” Luke huffed. 

“But you love him.” Alex concluded laughing. 

“I do,” Luke admitted. “What does that say about me?” 

“That you have questionable taste,” Alex teased, “and a good heart.” He winked at his friend. 

Luke laughed but sobered up quickly. “I just wish he’d finally accept that he needs to see them. Even if it turns out that he was right and that they don’t care. At least then he’ll know.” 

“I think that’s what he’s afraid of, really.” Alex said thoughtfully. “To lose that last shred of hope he’s been clinging to: That they actually _did_ care. If he faces them he’ll know for sure one way or the other. I’m not certain he’s ready for that.” 

“But this is killing him.” Luke sounded desperate now. “It just breaks my heart to see him like this. He’s so angry all the time. And he won’t let me help. He’s just shutting me out.” Alex studied Luke’s face. He knew how much this was hurting his friend. All Luke wanted was to be there for the people he loved, no matter what. 

They sat on the couch lost in silence. 

Then Alex spoke up again. “I’ve noticed that you never went back to seeing your own parents. After Julie delivered your song to them, I mean. Don’t you think it would be good to let them know that you’re still there? That you were able to fulfill your dream. That you never stopped loving them…”

“I don’t know..” Luke seemed unconvinced. “What would knowing that I am a ghost do to them?” 

“What is believing you’re lost forever doing to them now? It’s worth it to at least consider telling them the truth.” 

“You know,” Luke said thoughtfully, “with all that talk about me and Reggie facing our past we haven’t actually addressed the elephant in the room…” He fixed his eyes on Alex who had become very stil. ”You haven’t even tried to look for _your_ family Alex. Why is that?” 

* * *

“And then he told me to get a grip and stop acting like a child...totally unreasonable, right?” Reggie finished looking at Julie and Flynn expectantly. 

“I mean-” Flynn started 

“-not really” Julie concluded her friend’s sentence. 

Reggie’s face fell. “I screwed this up, didn’t I?”

Julie and Flynn looked at each other and couldn’t help but grin. Sometimes it was really difficult to take these disaster boyfriends and their antics seriously. 

“Well,” Julie began again, “I’m sure Luke will forgive you. He always does. Why don’t you go talk to him right now?” 

Reggie looked unconvinced and Julie rolled her eyes. “I’ll come with you, okay?” 

At that Reggie nodded gratefully. 

“Well, then let’s go find him.” Julie took Flynn’s hand and headed for the door. 

After a few seconds Reggie followed.

* * *

When Julie, Flynn and Reggie descended the stairs they could hear the front door closing. Ray was home. He looked up at Julie and Flynn and smiled but then noticed something behind them. A frown appeared on his face. “So who is this?...Wait did you bring a boy up to your room without introducing them to me first?” 

Flynn and Julie looked at Ray with puzzled expressions on their faces, then at each other. Finally their eyes settled on Reggie.

“You can see me?” Reggie asked, hesitantly. 

“Yes of course I can.” Ray rolled his eyes. “Who are you exactly?“ He halted as recognition slowly dawned. “Wait, is that Reggie?!” Ray looked at Julie. “How is that possible?” Julie looked as confused as he was. 

“That’s new…” Reggie whispered. 

“Well, I personally welcome this change.” Ray finally said, smiling in his direction. 

Flynn and Julie looked at each other grinning. “That’s wonderful, dad.” Julie agreed, then she addressed Flynn and Reggie. “We should go let the others know.” 

The girls were halfway to the door with Reggie close on their heels when Ray called out again: “Reggie could you stay behind for a minute. There is something I wanted to discuss with you.” 

Reggie froze to the spot. _That didn’t sound good._

He shot a worried glance in Julie’s direction but she just shrugged and gave him an encouraging smile. 

“We’ll meet you in the studio, later,” she said, then she and Flynn turned and left the house. 

Reggie felt unable to move. Ray had moved back into the kitchen and Reggie still stood in the living room, rooted to the spot. Until he heard Ray calling out again. Reggie took a deep very unnecessary breath and finally followed Ray into the kitchen.

* * *

“You wanted to talk to me...have I done something wrong? If so I’m really really sorry-” Ray shook his head and motioned for Reggie to sit down in one of the chairs.

“Nothing of the sort and no need to apologize.” He smiled kindly in Reggie’s direction and settled down in a chair across from him. 

“I’ve been meaning to talk with you for a while now,” Ray began, “but this new change will make it a lot easier. Incidentally, do you have any idea why I can suddenly see you?” 

“No,” Reggie had spoken quietly and Ray had a hard time hearing him. He studied Reggie. He’d been open, friendly and seemingly outgoing when all they had was a chalkboard to communicate. Or when he’d seen him perform with Julie and the band. But now that he was facing Ray he seemed withdrawn, incredibly shy... almost afraid. He had to reassure him somehow. 

“Listen Reggie, you don’t have to worry. I’m happy I get to finally see you and this will make our cooking partnership that much easier, right?” 

At that Reggie looked up, a smile crossed his features and he relaxed visibly. 

_Finally_ , Ray thought. _And now for the difficult part._

“So... have you given any more thought to visiting your family?” 

Upon hearing that Reggie’s expression darkened. He’d hit a nerve. 

Secretly Ray was wondering whether it was really his place to prie, but he had promised Julie and seeing Reggie now, he could tell that the boy carried a lot of weight on his shoulders. He needed to let it go and facing his past was apparently the only way he could. 

“No,” came the short reply and Ray knew instinctively that it was a lie. He had to be delicate here. 

“And can you tell me why?” He’d spoken softly, hoping that he could get Reggie to confide in him. For a while Reggie remained silent and Ray was about ready to admit defeat. 

“They hurt me enough. I don’t want to give them another chance.” Reggie said, his voice wavering and Ray felt his heart breaking for the boy. He wondered if he’d be able to hug him. Reggie looked like he could really use one. But Ray remained quiet, not wanting to interrupt this moment, now that Reggie was finally opening up to him. 

Reggie sighed. “I guess I’ve always known...that my parents weren’t happy. That they’d been forced into marrying and that I was the reason why...but I thought we could get past it. That they’d come around. That they could love me.” His voice broke on the last sentence, there were tears in his eyes. 

Ray felt sadness wash over him. He’d expected there to be anger and resentment but the depth of pain left him momentarily speechless. 

He reached over the table and was surprised when Reggie’s hand remained solid under his grip. _He could touch him_. When he felt the contact Reggie looked up in surprise. “Reggie,” Ray began. “In truth I can only imagine what that must be like. But..maybe your parents were not able to show you how they truly felt? Maybe seeing them one more time could give you some clarity?” 

“I don’t see how that would help? They are who they are!” Reggie’s voice had risen but then he caught himself with a worried glance at Ray. 

“People can change, Reggie. You know, becoming a parent and _being_ a parent aren’t necessarily the same thing. It’s not something that you automatically know how to do once you have a child. It’s a learning curve. Even if you want to do right by your kids, mistakes can happen. I’m not trying to excuse your parents’ behaviour. Just want to let you know that there is a chance that they still loved you. Even if they weren’t able to show it or be the parents you deserved. If there is a chance...you owe it to yourself to find out.” 

Reggie was staring at him now, tears were running down his face. Ray got up from his chair, crossed the few steps to where Reggie still sat and pulled him into a hug. 

“And one more thing I want you to know, son. Whatever happens. You’ll always have a family here.” 

He felt Reggie relax into the embrace, then the boy started sobbing. Everything that he must have been holding in, the anger, the pain and the fear all came rushing out, finally finding release. 

* * *

Julie stood outside the studio. She had said goodbye to Flynn and was now getting ready to play mediator between her two friends, once again. Seriously, this was becoming a habit of theirs. They fought like cats and dogs then immediately made up but it always took some prompting from Julie to steer them in the right direction. They were hopeless. 

As she entered the studio she found Luke standing at the piano, seemingly lost in thought. Alex was nowhere to be seen. 

As he heard her enter Luke looked up. A huge smile spread across his face. “Hey Julie!” 

“Hey!” she smiled back, then crossed over to where he stood. 

“Alex and I had a talk.” Luke rushed out before Julie had time to raise the issue she had come here to address. 

“Regarding what?” Julie questioned. 

“He thinks I should go back to my parents. Tell them the truth….about me being a ghost. But I’m not so sure…” his voice faltered, the smile he’d displayed earlier vanished from his face. 

“I think it’s a good idea.” Julie said slowly and took his hand. “And I’ll come with you, if you want me to. You won’t have to do it alone.” 

Luke’s face lit up once more. He pulled her towards him and hugged her tightly, planting a soft kiss on her head. She buried her face in his shoulder and they stayed like that for a while. 

“I’m sorry. Is this a bad time?” They both looked up and saw Reggie standing in the doorway. His eyes were bloodshot as if he’d been crying. Luke slowly shook his head, smiled at his friend and extended his arm. 

Reggie rushed over and joined them. They hugged each other tightly and Julie felt content. Whatever this was that they shared, they had time to figure it out. All she knew was that she loved these boys. They were part of her family now and always would be. Everything else was secondary. 

“So there’s a group hug and I wasn’t invited?” Alex stood in the doorway with an amused expression on his face. “Seems kind of unfair.” 

They all laughed at that then motioned for him to join them as well. 

_Weird, weird family. But also perfect in every way that mattered._

* * *

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 and we get a little more into Bobby/Trevor's motives. Hope you'll enjoy it and if you do I'd love to hear your thoughts. :)
> 
> Part of my headcanon for Trevor was informed by Yeoyou's excellent Last Standing which tells the story of how Bobby became Trevor and what happened between him and Rose.
> 
> I highly recommend you check it out here: 
> 
> <https://archiveofourown.org/works/26897956/chapters/65635066>

* * *

Julie was slowly walking up the path to Trevor Wilson’s mansion, mentally preparing herself for the conversation she was about to have. It had taken quite a lot of convincing on her part to get the boys to agree to this. After they had finally told her about Trevor’s confession and the lengths to which Caleb was willing to take this, she had been adamant that they needed to help Carrie and her dad. They’d come up with a plan and it was on her now to deliver the news as neither of the boys had been willing to face Trevor again. The hurt still ran too deep and they could not yet get over what he had done to them. 

Perhaps they never would. 

They’d decided that Trevor should pretend to agree to Caleb’s terms. _Julie and the Phantoms_ would vanish, at least for a while. Luke had been heartbroken about it but Julie had convinced him and the others that it was for the best. _We should lay low_ , she’d told them. _Perhaps Caleb will lose interest once he realizes that you guys will never join him even if it’s the only way for you to keep playing_. _And even if not, it will give us some time to come up with another plan. It’s worth a shot._

Her steps had finally brought her to the main entrance to the house. She exhaled, then pushed the doorbell and waited. After a couple of minutes the door was opened. Trevor stood in the entrance and stared at her in surprise.

“Julie? What are you doing here?”

“Hello Mr. Wilson” she replied. “May I come in?”

* * *

“They would do that for me?” Trevor’s voice sounded hopeful. 

Julie felt a pang of sympathy. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that the boys weren’t exactly thrilled about the idea. That it took a lot of convincing to make them see reason. That there had been some shouting involved and another helpful suggestion from Reggie that they should just do Caleb’s job for him and finish Bobby off. 

Reggie was the one who took Trevor’s betrayal the hardest, laying the responsibility for everything that had gone wrong for him solely on his former friend’s feet. It wasn’t exactly fair but Julie couldn’t really blame Reggie for that. 

“We would.” She replied instead. 

“Are they here?” Trevor asked and surveyed the room for signs of otherworldly activities. 

“No.” Julie answered truthfully. 

At that Trevor’s face fell. He must have realized what that meant. “I guess, I can’t really expect them to forgive me,” he said quietly. “I probably wouldn’t either if I were in their place.” 

“Can I just ask why you did it? Take Luke’s songs, I mean.”

“I-I didn’t mean to. It just sort of happened. It was years after the guys had died. I lost the drive to play but to be honest I never was good at anything else. I’d left L.A. behind, changed my name and tried to start a solo career. I couldn’t join another band. Not after what had happened. But my own songs were never that good. Not like Luke’s or Reggie’s for that matter. Those country songs he used to write, I think Luke really underestimated them.”

Julie couldn’t help but smile at that. She would make a point of telling Reggie later. Perhaps given time, reconciliation between the former members of _Sunset Curve_ was still possible as unlikely as it seemed right now.

“Well, one night I was playing at this club in New York” Trevor continued and Julie mentally shook herself. She needed to pay attention. After all she wanted to understand why Trevor had betrayed his friends like he had. “And well, it was the anniversary of their death. So I played one of our songs to commemorate the occasion. There was a talent scout in the audience. It kind of went from there. I showed them my work but all they were really interested in was the stuff that I’d done with _Sunset Curve_. So I thought, well there is no harm. At least that way the songs will live on.”

“You should have given them credit.” Julie interjected but Trevor shook his head.

“And paid royalties to the shitty parents that had made my friend’s lives miserable? I don’t think so. I just- I didn’t think I would ever see them again. Or that what I did would feel like such a betrayal. I see that now. I’d forgotten about that night with Caleb. Until he showed up twenty-five years later. You have to believe me.”

Julie felt sorry for him but there was something else that she had come to discuss. And she needed to ask him now before she lost the nerve to do so.

“Carrie...she told me that my mom accused you of stealing.” At that Trevor looked up at her in surprise. “I wanted to know...what happened between you and my mom. What did she know?” 

Trevor sighed then settled down on a chair at the kitchen counter, motioning for Julie to do the same. “It’s complicated..” he ventured. “You know, I met you mom many years ago. In 1995 to be precise. She was working at the _Orpheum_ back then. She was there at our final rehearsal. Shortly before…” he swallowed hard and continued, “shortly before the guys died. She was there to console me when I found out. And I never forgot her even after I left L.A., after I became Trevor Wilson. So when Carrie and I moved back here and I found her again... when your parents and I became friends I was overjoyed. And Rose never suspected that I used the _Sunset Curve_ songs and pretended that they were my own creation. Until the day she found out...and she never forgave me for it.” Trevor’s voice was filled with emotion. 

Julie nodded slowly. She’d suspected as much. After all she’d known that the _Sunset Curve_ demo had never been sold. That her mom probably got it because she was at one of their concerts. Same as the t-shirt that she had found among her mom’s clothes. But she had never suspected that her mother had been there that night. The night the boy’s died. 

Was it possible? 

_Mom, did you send them to me?_

* * *

Luke paced up and down the studio.

Alex and Reggie were sitting on the couch following his movement with their eyes.

“I can’t believe we’ve agreed to this. And for _Bobby's_ sake, no less. That dude took our music. And he didn’t even credit us for any of it.”

“I hear ya. Should have just let me kill him when I had the chance.”

Luke and Alex shot a worried look in Reggie’s direction who seemed to have realized what he had just said. He paled visibly.

“I didn’t mean- I’m sorry.” He shrugged helplessly. “Bobby just makes me so angry. I can’t really help it.”

Luke stopped his pacing and walked over to Reggie. He sat down on the couch arm next to his friend and touched his shoulder in a comforting gesture. 

Just like his parents Bobby was a touchy subject for Reggie. They had been friends after all. And Reggie had once trusted Bobby just as much as he’d trusted him and Alex. It had been Reggie who had suggested that they bring Bobby into the band. It stung knowing that he had betrayed them. And Luke was sure that somewhere deep down Reggie blamed himself for that as well. As he always did. 

And then there was the fact that Bobby had admitted to making the deal with Caleb, albeit by accident. That Bobby had wanted them gone even if just for a brief moment. Reggie hadn’t really talked about it but knowing that someone he cared about didn’t actually want him to exist, had wished him gone must have broken his friend’s heart.

And knowing about the consequence of his actions how could Bobby have stolen their music and just been fine with that? That was the part that Luke would never understand. The part that hurt him the most.

“I know that.” Luke sighed. “I guess Julie is right. And if we’re not doing it for Bobby we should at least do it for his daughter. None of that is her fault.”

“Except she was rather mean to Julie. Do we even like her?” Reggie asked but neither Alex nor Luke had an answer to that.

“Putting people in danger is not how we roll.” Alex finally spoke up. “It’s the right thing to do at least until we figure out what to do with Caleb. And we don’t know Bobby’s end of the story. He never got around to explaining why he took our music. Perhaps we shouldn’t be so quick to judge?”

“His end of the story, are you kidding me?” Reggie’s voice had risen an octave and Luke’s grip on his friend’s shoulder tightened. At once Reggie fell quiet again.

At this moment the air shifted in the studio and Willie appeared in the room.

“Hey guys!” He looked at their mournful expressions. “What’s wrong? Oh God, who died?”

“Nobody.” Luke replied. “Well except our music career.”

“That sucks.” Willie answered but his expression told them that he really didn’t understand what was going on and was just trying to humor them. “Anyway, I’ve met with a few guys from the club. Seems like Caleb keeps vanishing for days on end. But nobody could tell me where to and why.”

“That doesn’t sound good.” Alex said worriedly. “I was hoping he’d just go back to his song and dance routines and forget about us.”

“Yeah, like that was ever gonna happen. Now that we’ve beaten him twice.” Reggie spoke up again. But this time he sounded afraid rather than angry.

Luke pulled Reggie towards him so that his friend’s head rested against his body. He ran his hands through Reggie’s hair soothingly, trying to calm him down.

“I still don’t get it to be honest. I mean Caleb has been gradually changing over the years. But I’d never guessed he would be this... _evil_. And I’ve never seen him this obsessed either. If I had known sooner I would have never introduced you to him, I swear-”

Alex walked over and pulled Willie into a hug. “We’ve been over this. We know that and we don’t blame you at all. Plus, I don’t actually think you introduced us. Something tells me he was already aware of us being ghosts long before we ever set foot in that club. And given that he was the one who _killed_ us my guess is he’d have come after us either way. Knowing we could be visible to lifers was just the last straw.” 

They all fell silent at that. Luke looked around and saw his own fear and doubt mirrored in his friend’s faces. 

“So what do we do now? If we can’t play with Julie what are we good for? Just moping around in the studio is gonna get old real fast.” Reggie asked into the silence. 

“Well,” Luke began. “There’s something else that we should probably do.”

He shot a meaningful look in Alex’s direction, who gave a short almost imperceptible nod. It was time to go ahead with what they’d discussed. 

“Really? What would that be?” Reggie clearly didn’t understand where Luke was going with this and Luke briefly wondered if now really was the best time to bring it up. He hadn’t forgotten the argument they’d had just a few days ago when he had once again tried to persuade Reggie to meet with his sister. He’d shut down immediately as he always did whenever the topic came up. 

So it was time to try a different approach.

“I want to go back to my parents. I want to let them know that I’m still here. That I’m sorry for running out on them.” 

“Are you sure?” Reggie frowned. “You think they’ll be able to handle that? I mean you being a ghost isn’t exactly a happy revelation.”

“Well, it’s better than thinking I’m gone. And there’s a chance someone sees the videos of Julie and us playing. I’d rather they learned it from me. And not just show up one day at Julie’s doorstep and demand answers. Like your sister did.”

“Makes sense.” Reggie replied, thoughtfully. “So when do you want to meet your parents?”

“Thing is, Reg. I’m not going to be the only one who does. Alex has agreed to go back and see his family as well. And,” he hesitated briefly then soldiered on, “we really think you should, too.” 

Reggie tensed up at once just like Luke had expected. 

Whenever the subject of his parents came up Reggie would just immediately shut down and raise his defences and as much as Luke understood why this topic made his friend so uncomfortable he was absolutely certain that there was no way to avoid this reunion. 

Reggie was doing fine, for the most part, and acknowledging their feelings for each other had given him some stability. But deep down there was a part of Reggie that was still haunted by his past, by the _what ifs_ and the questions that had been left unanswered when he died. And it continued to make him temperamental and quick to anger. Made his friend act out in ways that were totally uncharacteristic. 

It hurt Luke to see him like this. Reggie needed to let it go. Or else he may be overwhelmed by all that darkness again just like had happened twice before. And if his poltergeist powers took over once more Luke wasn’t sure whether they would be able to bring Reggie back again. They could still end up losing him. And that thought was too much to bear. 

Luke looked at Alex and shrugged helplessly. In response his friend turned and whispered something into Willie’s ear. The other ghost nodded then vanished from the room in an instant. 

Luke sighed inwardly. Convincing Reggie that this was what needed to be done was going to take a while. At least he had Alex here with him. With their combined efforts they may succeed where he alone had failed so far. At least he really hoped so.

Either way it would probably take them all day and the better part of the night if the look of defiance on Reggie’s face was anything to go by. 

_Well_ , he thought somewhat bitterly, _I guess with our music career being on hold indefinitely we’ve got all the time in the world_.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that updates are coming so slow. There's just a lot going on at the moment. But I definitely haven't given up on this story and I have already finished about 3/4 of it so updates should be coming more regularly now (at least that's the plan). I do hope you like this new chapter and if you do I'd love to get your feedback.
> 
> This story hasn't been beta read yet so if you find any mistakes, do let me know. :)
> 
> Thank you guys so much for all your support. Really means a lot!

* * *

“So we’re all agreed?” Luke studied his friends’ faces. Reggie nodded slowly but he didn’t look entirely happy. Alex had grown quiet and was avoiding his eyes. “Come on, Alex! We said we’d all do it. And you told me you would, too!” 

“Just not sure why that’s necessary.” Alex replied, stubbornly. “ You guys clearly have some things left to work out with your families but I was finished with my parents long before I became a ghost.” 

“For the record, I don’t think I have anything to resolve. I know quite well how my parents felt about me.” Reggie had spoken up. 

Luke rolled his eyes at them. “Seriously? Can we just get this over with, please!” Then he rounded on Alex. “It was _your_ suggestion that I go back to my parents and tell them what happened to me. Don’t you chicken out on us now.” Then he turned to Reggie. “And you! We’ve discussed this numerous times. You need to see yours. You said you would. You promised!”

Reggie opened his mouth to argue but upon seeing Luke’s angry face he closed it again quickly. 

“Fine, that settles that.” Luke said with finality. “I think we should let Julie know. We’re probably going to need her help.” 

* * *

They poofed to the front of the main house and entered. As they phased through the door, they saw that Ray was already back from work and shuffling through a stack of papers that was lying on the dining table. 

“Hey Ray,” Reggie called out.

Upon hearing his name Ray looked up and smiled at Reggie. Then he turned his head towards Luke. “So, which one are you then?” 

Luke hesitated and looked at Reggie who simply shrugged and smiled. “Hello Mr. Molina. It’s me, Luke.” 

Ray laughed and shook his head. “Just Ray is fine. Nice to finally see you Luke.” 

He walked over and extended his hand. Luke reached out tentatively and was surprised when he realized that he was able to touch Ray as well. 

“So what brings you two over here?” Ray questioned. 

Luke and Reggie exchanged glances and looked back at Alex who had been quiet throughout the entire exchange. 

“Do..do you see anyone else in here, Ray?” Reggie asked tentatively. 

At that Ray shot him a puzzled look. “Someone else? No, just the two of you. Why? Is someone else here?” 

“I don’t think he can see you,” Reggie whispered in Alex’s direction. 

“Yeah well thanks, I kind of gathered as much.” Alex shot back but he looked worried.

Luke shot a questioning look in his friend’s direction. What was going on? Why could Ray only see him and Reggie? 

“We wanted to talk to Julie,” Reggie finally answered the question that Ray had asked earlier. 

“I see,” Ray responded. “Well, she’s not here. She’s out with Flynn. I’m not quite sure when she will be back.” As he saw Reggie’s disappointed face he added. “She’ll probably be back for dinner. Mind helping me with the preparations later?” 

“I’d love to,” Reggie replied enthusiastically.

Luke and Alex had already turned back towards the door.

Alex was quiet but Luke knew his friend well enough to know that this new revelation was worrying him. He just wished he had any clue as to what was going on or anything to say that would be helpful in reassuring Alex. But as it was he had nothing. 

* * *

“Can’t believe we’re actually meeting the demon. You sure that’s wise?” Flynn asked in Julie’s direction as they were walking up the street towards the diner that Carrie had picked for their lunch date. 

“She’s changed Flynn, you’ll see.” Julie replied, smiling. 

“How is it going with the guys? Did they make up?” Flynn looked over and Julie nodded. Flynn had slowed down and now came to a halt. 

“And how are you doing? With this new situation?” 

Julie didn’t have to ask Flynn what she meant. The new development in Luke’s and Reggie’s relationship had taken them all by surprise. In truth, Julie didn’t know how she felt about it. She really liked Luke and was sure he felt the same. That he had apparently harbored romantic feelings for his best friend as well had come out of left field. “I’m not sure,” Julie replied honestly. “I mean it’s obvious that they love each other. It’s just…” 

“You love him, too.” Flynn finished. 

“It’s complicated.” Julie’s voice had grown thoughtful. “The weird thing is that I’ve had several moments with Luke. It’s like his relationship with Reggie doesn’t change how he feels about me. And Reggie somehow seems to be fine with that.” 

“And are _you_ fine with that as well?” Flynn had turned around, taken Julie’s hand and looked at her friend questioningly. 

“I mean, I love them. Both of them actually. Maybe not in the same way or I don’t know maybe I do? Is it possible to love two people like that at the same time?...I just don’t know.” 

Flynn nodded slowly. “Well, whatever you decide. Whatever you need, I’m here for you. And if you need me to kick their asses I’m here for that as well.” 

At that Julie erupted into fits of giggles and Flynn joined in. “Come on,” Julie finally managed. “Let’s hurry up. I don’t think Carrie will appreciate it if we keep her waiting.” “Yeah let’s not incur the demon’s wrath” Flynn agreed. “Who knows what she’d do to us.” 

Julie rolled her eyes at her best friend, took her hand and pulled her the last few steps towards the diner. 

* * *

The afternoon went surprisingly well. Flynn had left most of the talking to Carrie and Julie but she had been pleased to note that Carrie had shed her mean girl personality entirely when in their presence and that she had shown at least some contrition with regards to what she’d put Julie through. It didn’t mean all was forgiven but it was a good start. As they paid up and were getting ready to leave Flynn noticed that Carrie had grown uncharacteristically quiet. 

“Flynn, can I talk to you for a sec. _Alone_?” Carrie sounded a little nervous and Flynn and Julie exchanged surprise glances at the tone in her voide. Finally Flynn nodded in agreement and sat back down at the table. 

“Sure,” she said in Carrie’s direction then turned to Julie. I’ll catch up with you later, Jules, okay?”

“Okay, I’ll see you later at the studio.”

Julie smiled at Flynn then waved in Carrie’s direction and headed out of the diner, leaving Carrie and Flynn behind. 

Flynn studied Carrie’s face. There was uncertainty there. All of Carrie’s confidence had evaporated once Julie had left and now she seemed to be at a loss for words. They sat across from each other, the silence stretching on for minutes until Carrie finally spoke up.

“There’s...there’s something I haven’t told you yet. About why I let things escalate the way I did. It’s selfish and it’s cruel and you’re probably going to hate me after this. But I need to tell you. You deserve to know.”

This whole exchange was leaving Flynn increasingly confused and she didn’t really know how to respond to this new revelation so she just kept quiet and simply nodded.

“You see, what happened between our parents was a big part of why Julie and I had a falling out. Well I guess it’s fair to say why I decided to end our friendship. I know it’s entirely my fault. But…” Carrie hesitated, then continued. “That’s not the only reason. I was also really jealous. And I wanted to hurt Julie because she had everything that I didn’t.”

Flynn continued to stare at Carrie. That open admission had taken her off-guard. It hadn’t been a secret exactly. She’d always assumed that Carrie carried a lot of insecurities under that tough girl armor. But Flynn was taken completely by surprise at the level of self-awareness on display. She wasn’t sure it would make it easier or harder for her to forgive Carrie.

“It’s fucked up, I know it is. I-- I’ve just been such a mess. And I wanted to hurt Julie because I was jealous. She’s always been the one with the talent. The one admired and loved by everyone. The one to get the things I wanted…” Carrie trailed off.

“I don’t quite follow. You’ve got your father and all the resources you need make it big in the music industry. And you’re so popular...”

“I mean you Flynn. I know how you felt about Julie. I knew back when we were friends. And I was so jealous because I wanted it to be me.”

Flynn blinked at Carrie, slowly, uncomprehendingly. Until realization of what Carrie had just admitted to her finally hit. 

“And Nick?”

“I love Nick. He’s been such a good friend through all of this. Until I fucked that up as well. But, I don’t love him in that way.”

“You never said.”

“It has its perks being the most popular girl in school and dating the school’s best lacrosse player. I really didn’t want to lose all the prestige that came with that. I’m not worried about coming out. Just... how I feel is my personal business. I don’t have to make a big announcement to the world.”

“I got to be honest with you this is a lot to take in. I mean...you hurt Julie so badly. And I was there through all of it. When it all went down between you guys, and then when Julie lost her mum... it broke her. We’ve been picking up the pieces ever since to get back to some kind of normality. And she finally _finally_ has that with her new band. With the guys. I’m not saying that things can’t be fixed between us. But it’s Julie you have to make amends to, not me.” 

Carrie slowly nodded. 

Flynn shot her a lost somewhat friendly look, got up from the table and finally left the diner as well. She had a lot to think about and she wasn’t entirely sure whether this was something she should share with her best friend or work out on her own. 

* * *

When Willie appeared in the studio he found Alex on the couch, lost in thought. He waved excitedly but when he saw the expression on Alex’s face his smile faded quickly.

“What’s wrong?” He moved over to sit next to Alex and took his boyfriend’s hand.

Alex simply shrugged. “Nothing-”

“I know we’ve not been together that long but trust me hotdog, you’re an open book and that expression on your face doesn’t read fine to me.” He squeezed Alex’s hand and Alex finally sighed and told him what had happened this morning. That he’d agreed to meeting his parents and that while Luke and Reggie were becoming more corporeal to the point that even Ray could see and touch them, Alex himself remained stubbornly invisible to anyone but Julie and Flynn.

“I just don’t know what’s going on.” Alex said quietly, his face full of worry.

“I don’t really have an answer, Alex. I’m so sorry. I mean, I’ve been around for a while and the only ghost I’ve ever met that could be visible to lifers is Caleb. But, maybe, it just takes you a little more time. Eventually Ray will be able to see you too, I’m sure.” 

The truth was that Willie couldn’t be sure at all. But he wanted to reassure Alex that everything would be okay. It hurt seeing Alex like this.

“I really hope so.” Alex said, softly. 

“Do you want to talk about the other thing? Meeting your parents?” Willie asked, carefully. He didn’t want to push it in case Alex wasn’t comfortable confiding in him about this, yet. They’d decided to take things slow after all and he wanted to give Alex time and space to learn to trust him. Especially after how badly things had started out. To his great relief Alex nodded.

“Yeah, I do. The thing is I don’t really miss them. I mean I kind of miss my siblings, Vic and Jamie, but they still have each other and I’m sure they’re doing fine. They were always successful where I didn’t really live up to my parent’s expectations. And as for my mom and dad...when they found out that their precious obedient son was _different_ they just sort of stopped loving and supporting me. I was this shameful secret they had to hide from all their country club friends. I mean, it hurt...but I got over it. I don’t really want to see them again.”

Willie reached over and put his arm around Alex’s shoulder, pulling his boyfriend towards him. He placed a soft kiss on Alex’s head. “I know how that feels. I never knew my biological parents and my foster parents were a real disaster. But maybe Luke has a point? Seeing them could give you some closure and well maybe you’ll find out that you have been missed. At least by your siblings. Do you want to talk about them. I’ve never heard you mention them before?”

Alex’s face softened into a genuine smile and Willie felt his heart leap at the sight. He would be forever grateful that Alex had chosen to forgive him. It felt so good to have someone in his corner. Someone who genuinely cared for him. Once upon a time he’d thought that Caleb had been that person. An ally, someone to be trusted. A friend that Willie could rely and lean on. But that trust had completely evaporated once Willie had seen behind the facade and gotten a glimpse of Caleb’s true nature. He would never trust him again. 

They spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on the couch while Alex talked about a time when he and his family had been tight. How he would play tricks on his older brother and how close he and his younger sister had once been. Those were happy memories and Alex clearly still cherished them. Even if his parents’ rejection had eroded the trust and love that had once been there. Willie hoped that the upcoming confrontation would help Alex. And he was here to show Alex that there were people here who had his back. That Willie himself was one of them. 

A thought crossed his mind.

“If you want…well, if that’s okay with you I want to come with you. When you visit your parents.”

* * *

Luke and Reggie were walking in silence along the beach promenade. The sun shone brightly and despite the late season the promenade was packed with tourists and locals alike. Reggie had been rather quiet, seemingly lost in thought and Luke was wondering whether the argument they’d had that morning was still running through his mind. In truth it was bothering Luke as well that, despite how close they were, they couldn’t help but find reasons to argue with each other. 

Luke reached over and took Reggie’s hand. At that his friend finally looked up and smiled at him. Luke pulled him close and wrapped his arm around him. They’d been walking into the bike lane unnoticed. Suddenly an approaching biker veered of course, rang his bell and shot an angry look in their direction. They both stared after the man then back at each other. 

“What was that?” Reggie wondered. “Did I just hallucinate or did this guy actually see us?” A glint had appeared in Reggie’s eyes. He shot Luke a huge grin and went over to the hot dog stand they had just passed. “I’d like two hotdogs with everything, please.” The vendor ignored Reggie’s order. 

“A hotdog? Seriously? I’m not touching one of those again, ever.” Luke had come over to join his friend. 

“Why not?” Reggie shrugged. “It’s not like it can kill you twice.” 

“You wouldn’t have been able to eat it anyway.” Luke replied. “We’re still ghosts.” 

“I’m going to keep trying. You never know…” Reggie responded with a sheepish grin. As he was talking he stepped backwards, right into a group of teenagers. 

“Watch where you’re going man!” one of them grunted in his direction then the group marched on. 

Reggie stared after them. His mouth hanging open. Then he turned to Luke. “I could feel them. When I bumped into them, I mean. They were solid!” 

“What the hell is going on?!” Luke wondered. 

“It’s like we’re becoming more and more real every day.” Reggie said thoughtfully. “But it seems to be completely random. That hot dog guy couldn’t see me at all.” 

“Do you think…does that mean our families will be able to see and _touch_ us, too?” Luke asked. 

Reggie just looked at him, his expression unreadable. And for the first time in a while Luke started to have some doubts about this whole plan. How would their respective families react? Was it really fair to force Alex to meet his family when they’d always had a very strained relationship? And finally, what would meeting his own parents do to Reggie? Would it make things better, as Luke believed, or could it possibly have the opposite effect?

His excitement slowly evaporated, replaced by a feeling of trepidation. For all their sakes he really hoped this would work out.

* * *

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To be honest I'm not sure who is still reading this but I promised myself that I would finish this story and so I will. Current plan is to update about once a week. 
> 
> This chapter is relatively short but since we're going to focus on Luke and his mother, I didn't want to add any scenes that would distract from that. If you have any thoughts or feedback I'd love to hear it. Since I'm currently posting this without a beta, feel free to let me know if you spot any mistakes.
> 
> And now without further ado, on with the story.

* * *

“Can you tell whether you’ll be visible to them?” Julie looked up at the house with a doubtful look on her face. 

Luke and Reggie had filled her and Alex in on what had happened to them on the beach a few days ago. Now the group stood behind the hedges that surrounded the house of Luke’s parents debating how they should proceed. 

“I’m not sure. I still don’t quite get how this works,” Luke admitted. 

The idea had formed easily enough. Talk to Luke’s mom while his father was out of the house and tell her the truth. The execution however was still a bit of a mystery. Luke was reasonably certain that if one of his parents would be willing to entertain the idea of ghosts being a thing, it would likely be his mother. And once they had her convinced she could help explain things to his dad. So much for the theory. In practice the task at hand seemed daunting. His mother wasn’t religious and she held a healthy dose of scepticism towards anything she’d label charlatanry, like the stuff that you sometimes saw on TV. So it would be tough and really Luke wasn’t entirely sure how they should go about it. 

“So what do we do? Reggie said, finally voicing the question on everyone’s mind. “Sing them another song or just ring the doorbell and hope that they can see you?” 

All eyes turned on him. 

“Not sure giving them a heart attack would be a good move.” Alex replied, rolling his eyes at Reggie. 

“Well, if you got a better idea let’s hear it!” Reggie muttered. 

“I’ll go first,” Julie interrupted the argument. “See how she reacts to me. Perhaps I can convince her of this ghost angle. And if she doesn’t believe me...well I’ll just try to get away before she calls the cops.” 

“I’ll come with you,” Alex said. “She won’t be able to see me anyway.”

They all nodded in agreement, then Julie exhaled slowly, left her hiding place and marched towards the front entrance of the house. She hesitated briefly, then knocked on the door. After a moment of silence the door opened and Emily Patterson stood in front of her. A smile crossed the woman’s face. She clearly recognized Julie. 

“Hello,” she said. You’re the girl that delivered Luke’s song to us, aren’t you? Julie, right?” 

“Yes, that’s me.” Julie replied, smiling at her. 

“Why don’t you come in. I’ve just made some tea. Maybe you want some? My husband isn’t home yet but he should be back soon.” 

Julie shot a brief glance in Alex’ direction who had been standing next to her the whole time, unbeknownst to Luke’s mother. Julie was wondering why Alex was the only one of the group that was still entirely invisible but she pushed that thought to the back of her mind. She had time to ponder this later. Now she had to focus her mind on the bigger task at hand - convincing Mrs. Patterson that the son, she believed to be lost, wasn’t entirely gone. That he was still around even if she couldn’t see him. Julie really had no clue how she would be able to pull that off. 

“That would be great, thank you,” Julie said and followed Luke’s mother into the house. 

* * *

Emily handed the girl a cup of tea then settled down on a chair opposite her surprise visitor. In truth she had no idea why the girl - Julie was here. Had she found any more of Luke’s things? At that Emily grew hopeful. The lyrics Julie had brought them had given her so much comfort. As heartbreaking as it was reading her son’s final words, it had shown Emily how he’d truly felt. That he hadn’t stopped loving her even though she herself had driven him away. 

Julie looked at the cup in her hand, then glanced up at Emily. She seemed nervous. “I’m not quite sure how to begin,” she admitted. 

Emily looked at her. She was growing increasingly confused. She had understood the girl’s nervous behaviour last time. After all Julie couldn’t have known how the Patterson’s would react to her story. Couldn’t have been sure that giving them the song would be welcome. But this time around there was really no reason for her to be this anxious. What was going on?

Julie sighed heavily. “This is going to sound so strange. And you’ll probably won’t believe a word of it. I can’t really blame you for that. The thing is, that song I gave you, _Unsaid Emily_... It’s true that I found it in Luke’s notebook but I didn’t know who it was about. That is until they showed me.” 

“ _They?_ ” Emily stared at Julie uncomprehendingly. _What on earth was the girl talking about?_

Julie looked up at her. “They...Luke’s friends. Alex and Reggie.” 

Emily shook her head. “Julie, whoever contacted you, that wasn’t them. Alex and Reggie...they were in my son’s band. They died with him.” 

“I know that they died.” Julie answered, softly. “Mrs. Patterson...do you believe in ghosts?” 

Emily couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was the girl joking? What was she thinking coming into her house, trying to mock her? She was growing angry now but as she took a closer look at Julie the anger evaporated. The girl seemed nervous but absolutely sincere. But Emily didn’t believe in ghosts. She’d never tried to contact any of the so-called mediums or charlatans that would prey on the weak, that used people’s grief for their own financial gain. Was Julie one of them? Had she completely misjudged the girl’s character? 

“I know this is unbelievable. And you probably think that I’m trying to trick you in some way...if you won’t believe me I understand. Can I at least sing that song for you? The one that Luke wrote? I swear I’ll leave you in peace after that.” 

Emily was still thoroughly confused and wary of the whole exchange but finally she nodded. That at least couldn’t hurt and she longed to hear the song. 

Julie gave her a small smile. Then she closed her eyes and began to sing. 

As Emily listened tears sprang up in her eyes. It was beautiful. Suddenly a second voice joined Julie’s. Emily stared at her in shock. She recognized this voice. A voice she hadn’t heard in twenty-five years. _Luke_. She looked around and froze. Her son was standing in the entrance to the living room. Tears were falling from his face. He looked the same. Unchanged from the boy he’d been when she had last seen him. The night that they had that terrible fight. The night she’d driven him away, only to lose him forever. 

Emily sprang out of her chair and crossed the distance between them. She reached out. He was solid to her touch. She enveloped her son in a hug, holding on tightly. She didn’t care if this was impossible. Luke was here. Her child had come back. 

“Mom,” Luke whispered softly “I’m sorry mom. I missed you so much.” 

* * *

  
  



End file.
